My Thyroid Journey

Looking back my thyroid started to show signs of dysfunction after the birth for my third child and I had this revelation after seeing many women with post-partum thyroiditis after consecutive pregnancies and relating to their symptoms – I had 3 kids in 4 years and had 3 caesareans due to my small body shape and not being able to push my babies out after 2 long labours, (the third was an elective).

The toll of 3 pregnancies, 3 major operations, breastfeeding for 40 months in total and the stress that comes with babies and toddlers times 3!! We were also renovating….as you do… actually we put on a whole new section of the house…so 2 littilies, pregnant and Reno’s…. oh and I fell pregnant with my third when my second was only 8 months old….need I say more.

Even though I was healthy, ate extremely well and took supplements all through this, my specific nutrient level to support my thyroid would have been low as I was not aware at this stage of what my thyroid needed through such a nutrient dependent time.

After the birth of my third baby, my hair began to break. It wasn’t falling out but just breaking off and became very dry, it was like I had an indent or band around the middle of my head. A few years later I came across hair extensions and OMG did they make me feel amazing to have my hair back and amazing thick hair too. BUT they had their down falls in that removal and fixing up every 6 weeks caused more hair loss and they were very expensive to maintain!!

I had 3 littlies under 4 and my world was a blur. Massive brain fog, sleepless nights and constant demands of motherhood. I remember feeling like I was under water and much stressed most of the time.

I had sold my Naturopathic practice when I fell pregnant with my first child so wasn’t practicing Naturopathy and to be honest I had seen very few thyroid clients in my first 5 years of practice, so it wasn’t on my radar and thyroid health was brushed over in college.

Fast track to 3 years ago with now 3 teens and major stress. My practice is booming to the point where I am feeling burnout, exhaustion and not handling my stress at all. I have 3 teens 17, 14, 13 all going through a tough time, challenging me and pushing their boundaries. My eldest in particular went through boy and friend trouble and was in a very low state which was a constant worry and stressful to me.

I was struggling to fix this constant tight feeling in my throat and what I assumed was reflux. I found it odd that I treated myself to no success even though I have treated many cases of reflux over the years. I just didn’t feel myself. I wasn’t sleeping, had no energy and was utterly exhausted at the end of 3 full days of work. I stopped going out as had no motivation to go out and have fun and plus it exhausted me. I have always been a good weight for my size but the weight around my middle began creeping up, my body was changing but well I was in my late 40’s so thought it was just stress and being busy.

I began to see more and more clients in my clinic presenting with thyroid conditions. Like 5 in one day, 8 in a week. More and more and I began to wonder what was going on. Why does everyone seem to have a thyroid condition these days?? I began to research and treat these mostly women and still I didn’t think what was going on with me had anything to do with my thyroid, until I went and saw my GP asking for an Endoscopy to check my throat out. By GP protocol we did some blood tests first, and low and behold, I was diagnosed with subclinical hypothyroidism!!

The penny dropped…it all made so much sense.

So I reassessed my life, applied my Naturopathic thyroid diet and lifestyle principles to myself and am in a balanced thyroid place. I feel blessed to have a thyroid condition and it has taught me so much about myself and the thyroid, and continues to do so, and I can relate to others in going through similar symptoms and feelings.

This is why I am so passionate about getting thyroid awareness out there to as many peeps as possible. I know that there are many women walking around with a sub-optimal working thyroid that they do not recognise as a thyroid condition, that their Dr’s continually fob off as nothing due to the wrong testing and not enough time to investigate, and that the symptoms as seen as advancing age, peri -menopause, menopause, being busy, being a woman, being a mum.

This was me too. I was treating hundreds of thyroid patients but still didn’t see myself as a thyroid candidate. Due to every cell and body function needing thyroid hormone to function well, the symptoms of thyroid dysfunction are many and overlap with many other conditions, and are often misdiagnosed as something else. Not enough attention and support is given to thyroid irregularity.

If you are struggling with exhaustion, foggy thinking and brain fog, have unreasonable weight gain that you cannot shift, feel misunderstood, not yourself, have a low stress threshold, anxiety, low mood, period problems, aching joints and muscles, puffiness, fuzzy eyes that lose focus, digestive issues – PLEASE don’t settle for there’s nothing wrong with you, your thyroid is fine upon testing, take an antidepressant, go on diet and lose weight …. Keep looking for answers and seek help from a professional such as myself who draws upon personal experience, has treated many thyroid conditions and knows the right testing and support that you need.

Please share and let’s get thyroid awareness and support out there to as many people as possible.

Want a way to assess your thyroid health freely and easily from the comfort of your home? If you would like a copy emailed to you, please click HERE